Harsh sentencing policies and the use of confidential informants has created a racially discriminatory criminal justice system in Mississippi that harms innocent individuals and erodes the rule of law, according to a report released Monday by the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Mississippi.

Drug policies focused on criminal convictions and prison terms overwhelmingly target young Canadians and should be modified to include alternatives to simple punishment, a national students' group is telling federal politicians on Thursday.